Preserve The Heart
by Shena1
Summary: Beckett's just been fired and the loft will be over run by two redheads and... him... in a few hours. They just need to get out of there. Post 6x03... [One-Shot] No spoilers for future episodes


**For lv2bnsb - who was disappointed by a lack of notifications in her inbox.**

**So here you go. You got one****_ this_**** morning, at least.**

**Asked for post-6x03... not my usual thing, but I gave it a shot.**

**Enjoy.**

* * *

He stared at her silently across the table, watching her hands hypnotically caress the coffee mug that sat in front of her.

For a downtown location in the_ 'City that Never Sleeps'_, 4:00am at the coffee shop was relatively quiet.

She hadn't said much after McCord left. She'd just walked over to the couch and sat down, elbows on her knees as she ran her fingers through her hair, bringing them back around to curl in front of her mouth. There were no tears, but neither was there joy.

For once in his life, Castle couldn't get a read on her.

He'd sat down beside her on the couch, not knowing what to say or do. He felt so guilty. He kept thinking that he'd caused this… been the reason she lost her job – even though, logically, he knew that wasn't the case.

But that didn't mean it didn't hurt like hell.

She'd been doing so well. McCord said she'd be great. But now she'd never be able to find out.

The two of them sat silently beside each other for what seemed to be an eternity. Beckett lost in thought, and Castle lost as to what he should do. He contemplated putting an arm around her shoulders, maybe resting a hand on her knee… but nothing felt right. This was not what she needed.

But that was the problem.

He knew very well what she _didn't_ need… but he couldn't figure out what she _did_ need.

And it was killing him.

So he just sat beside her, silent, patient… there. Like always.

* * *

Castle woke first and padded quietly into the living room. His heart ached to see her like that – curled up in a ball, tucked into the corner of the couch, cocooned under the fleece blanket he'd wrapped her in when she'd fallen asleep. He'd contemplated carrying her to the bedroom, but opted instead to leave her be. He didn't want to chance disturbing her slumber – she so desperately needed the rest.

He sat down quietly on the coffee table, placing himself directly in front of her, blue eyes smoothing over her face.

"You're watching me sleep," she muttered, eyes still shut. "Still kinda creepy, Castle."

"Gotta make sure you don't fall off the couch," he smiled.

His heart fluttered a bit as he saw the slight up-turn of her lip.

"What time is it?" she mumbled groggily.

"Uh… about 3:00am," he whispered. "Couldn't sleep."

She sat up slowly as she wiped the heel of her hand across her eyes. "When's your family getting back from their yoga retreat?"

"Couple hours, maybe?"

Her eyes met his, serious and deliberate. "Let's get outta here, Castle."

* * *

So an hour later, casually dressed in jeans and hoodies, there they sat in the booth of a 24-hour coffee shop, hands wrapped around steaming mugs of liquid gold.

"It's weird," Kate whispered, shattering the silence as she stared into her latte.

Castle lifted his eyes to meet hers.

"I should feel upset… And I am," she paused a moment, "but I'm not."

Castle momentarily motioned to take her hand, but hesitated, letting his fist come to rest on the table between them. In a move that surprised him, Beckett met his hand halfway, releasing her mug and linking the fingers of her left hand with those of his right. For the first time since closing the door on Rachel McCord, Castle felt himself exhale.

"It's just…" she continued, "there were so many things that I loved about that job – the challenges, the demands. And I really wanted to do well. I was doing so well…" her voice trailed away.

Castle squeezed her fingers lovingly as he sat quietly, patiently waiting for her to continue her thought.

"But there were so many things that…." she paused, taking a deep breath. "So many things that I did not agree with. McCord said I'd have to accept certain things about the job – come to peace with not knowing the entire story. Letting the politics win sometimes…" she looked up from her mug to meet Castle's eyes. "That didn't sit well with me."

Castle pondered the full weight of her words before speaking. "Were you thinking of resigning?"

"Honestly?... I don't know," she sighed, looking down at their entwined fingers. "I just don't know."

They allowed the silence to speak for them for several minutes.

"So… what do you want to do now?" he asked, almost in a whisper.

Kate glanced out the window, slightly dazed, the early morning light starting to dance across her face, bringing out the highlights in her chestnut hair. Staring out the window but not really looking at anything, she breathed, "Castle, will you come with me somewhere?"

He didn't even have to think about it.

"Always."

* * *

At the last stop, Castle stepped off the Q train. Following Beckett out of Stillwell Station, he squinted as the early morning light stung his eyes.

He stood in silence for a moment, observing her as she made her way towards the Coney Island shore… drawn towards the ocean almost hypnotically.

Deciding to allow her this moment of serenity, he paced himself, following her at a slight distance.

He finally came to stand beside her when she'd stopped at the water's edge. She'd taken off her boots and socks and was evidently relishing the sensation of the cool sand between her toes.

Her eyes were closed as the wind from the Atlantic kissed her open face.

Standing beside her, Castle stared forward, watching beams from the rising Sun reflect along the water. He felt her fingers twine with his as they allowed the peace of the moment to wash over them.

"So what do we do now?" he inquired softly.

Taking a deep breath, she opened her eyes as she exhaled. A gentle smile formed on her lips as she squeezed his hand, giving comfort and taking strength.

"We wait to see what the tide will bring."

* * *

**lv2bnsb suggested: "Beckett's unemployed- Rick's house is crowded- How about a weekend away? Chance to talk about future details?" **

**Not sure if this story met those requirements, but this is what poured out. Went Beta-free, so sorry about any typos.**

**So there you go... Judge away! :)**

_**(I love feedback... helps me figure out how to improve)**_


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